Typewriting machine



Dec. 2, 1941. w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l lNvENToK W/LL/AM E HELMO/VD ATTO NEY Dec. 2, 1941.

W. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q Q NW R R Q m m q m b I Nv mm wmv u m Q N Dec. 2, 1941. w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NQ Km .ATTORN EY Filed June 22, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented 2, 1941 OFFICE? mswm'rmo MACHINE William F. Helmond, West mimos assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company,

New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of Delaware" Application June 2211 939, Serial No.'280,546

8 Claim.

This invention relates to typewriting machines and, with regard to certain more specific features thereof, to case-shifting devices particularly of the character in which electromagnetic means is employed in the operation of shifting from one case typing position to another.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a simple, inexpensive and reliably operative means for shifting to different case positions with a minimum of operator effort.

It is another object of the invention to employ an electric motor in a normally open electric circuit in combination with simple key-controlled devices for latching in one case position the part to be shifted, releasing the part, by actuation of the key, to the influence of a spring to move the part to another case position, substituting suitable circuit controls, and then upon release of the key, closing the motor circuit to restore the shifted part by power to its original latched position.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out particularly as the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention proceeds. I 1

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the improved case-shifting mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a view in fore-and-aft section of a typewriter embodying the invention shown in Fig. 1, with the parts in normal or lower-case typing position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts in the positions which they assume when a case-shift key is depressed and the platen is shifted to upper-case typing position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but showing the parts in the positions which they assume when the case-shift key is released and has nearly returned to normal position. In this view the electric circuit has just closed and the motor is about to restore the parts to lower-case typing positiomas they are'seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the means for controlling the motor circuit. In this view the circuit contacts are closed for energization of the motor.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but with the circuit controls operated to maintain an open circuit even after the case-shift frame has been actuated by its spring to upper-case typing position.

Fig. 7 is a view of the rear of the typewriter showing the electric motor and its circuit controls.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the dot-anddash line of Fig. 2, enlarged to show the details of the friction clutch employed in the motor drive.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings. a typewriter frame is indicated generally at l0. It has conventional side walls one of which is indicated at H and a rear wall H. The typewriter carriage is indicated generally at i3 mounted for transverse movement on.a way rod l4. A part of the carriage frame is shown at l5 and between end walls of this frame, one of which is shown at It, a shaft I1 is mounted having lift hooks I8; at opposite ends taking under pins 20 of a movable skeleton 2|. The skeleton is also 'pivotally connected to the carriage frame by end links 22. A roller platen 23 is suitably journaled in the skeleton and the latter has a roll bearing on a case-shift part or frame 24 as indicated at 25. An adiustable stop 26 is arranged in the path of a shoulder of the skeleton to variably limit the movement of the latter to upper-case typing position.

The shift frame 24, shown clearly in Fig. 1, comprises opposite end members 28 and 30 connected by a cylindrical rod 8 I The end members are fixed upon a shaft 82 suitably Journaled in the side walls of the main frame of the typewriter. The lefthand end-member 28 of the shift frame extends somewhat below the end-member 38 and has a laterally extending pin 33 projecting into an aperture 34 at the end of a lever pivotally mounted on the frame by a shoulder screw 38. The forward endof lever 85 has an ear 81 which is engaged by an arm 88 of a bell-crank lever 40 which is loose on a shaft 4| extending transversely of the machine and journaled in the side walls of the main frame. The other arm 42 of the bell-crank lever has a cam face 43 adapted to be engaged by a cam roll 44 projecting laterally from a. case-shifting key-lever 45. The lever 45 is fulcrumed on a rod 48 extending between side walls of the frame and on the opposite side of the machine a case-shift key-lever 4'' corresponding in shape to the key lever 45 is also fulcrumed on the rod 48. Key levers 45 and 41 have keys 48 and 50, respectively, at their forward ends, and at these ends are fixed pins 5| and 52 respectively resting in slots 53 and 54 of arms 55 and 56 each of which is fixed to shaft 4|. Thus as either key 48 or 50 is depressed, the other key and its lever will also be depressed. A collar 51 is fixed on the shaft 4| to hold the bell-crank lever 48 in appropriate transverse position so that arm 38 will be maintained over the ear 3'! and cam 43 is maintained in position to be operated by the cam roll or pin 44 on the lever 45. Springs 68 and 8| tend to urge the case-shift keys intotheir upper positions. A bracket 32 has one arm secured to the right side wall of the main frame and another arm SI-extending inwardly to provide a latching shoulder for a hook 34 on an upper-case-latching lever 35. This lever has a key 33 and is pivoted at 31 to the case-shifting lever 41 being normally held in unlatohed position by a spring 33 connecting a short arm of the lever 55 with the key lever 41. A lug limits the movement of lever 35 under the action of spring 33. When either of the case-shift levers 45 or 41 is depressed the other will move accordingly and bothmay be maintained in depressed position by depression of key 33 moving hook 34 under the arm- 33 of the latch bracket, and at the same time releasing pressure on the case-shift lever.

Fixed on a cross bar H of the main frame is a bracket 12 which anchors one end of a coil spring 13 at 14. The other end of the spring is anchored at 15 to the right-side end-piece of shift frame 24. The spring is normally under tension tending to lift the shift frame and move the platen roller 23 to upper-case position, but

typing position. The friction at clutch -33 is sufficient to transmit motion from the armature shaft 3| to actuating arm 33, to swing this arm in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4, and thus break the toggle, return the case-shift frame to lower-case typing position and retention spring 13. The friction clutch permits slippage after the motor has achieved these results.

The controls for the normally open circuit of the electric motor will now be described. A control box I00 is mounted upon the rear wall I2 of the main frame, is penetrated by the armature shaft extension 33, and houses the friction clutch 35-35. A fiange- IOI of the control box provides a bearing for one end of the armature shaft extension 33. Secured to the control box on posts I02 is a panel I03 of insulating material to which is fixed contact 33 of the contact pair 3133.

this movement is normally prevented by engagement of pin 33 of the left-side end-piece 23 in a latching portion 13 of aperture 34 at the rear of lever 35.

Pivotally mounted on bracket 12 at 11 is one link 13 of a toggle, the other link of which is indicated at 30. At the center of the toggle thereis a pivotal connection at 3-I with a link 32 which extends rearwardly to a connection with an arm 33 on an extension of the armature shaft of an electric motor indicated at 34. The upper end of link 30 is pivotally connected through an adlusting device 35 with the right-side end member 30 of the case-shift frame 24.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the parts are shown in their normal or lower-case typing positions. Spring 13 is under tension but case-shift frame 24 is held down around its shaft pivot 32,

by engagement of the pin 33 in the latch portion 13 of aperture 34 at the rear of lever 35. When either of the case-shift keys 43 ,or is depressed both levers 45 and 41 move downwardly around fulcrum rod 43 and in doing so the cam roll or pin 44 on lever 45 acts upon cam face 43 of hell- Contact 33 serves as the fixed contact of the pair. Contact 31 is mounted upon an" angle member I04 which is pivoted at I05 on a post I05 supported by a flange I01 of a bracket I03 which is in turn fixed to the vertical insulating panel I03. The angle member I04 has a tail IIO on the opposite side of the pivot I05 from the contact 31, and against this tail 9. leaf spring III, supported at its lower end by panel I03, bears with a tendency to close the contact pair.

Angle member I04 and leaf spring III are of electrical conductivity, as is also a strip II2 secured tothe panel I03 and carrying contact 33. The electrical circuit is from one side of a line through strip II2, fixed contact 83, movable contact 31, angle member I04, leaf spring III, to one side of the motor, and from the other side of the motor back to the opposite side of the line.

When the parts of the case-shifting mechanism are in normal or lower-case position; as

crank lever 40 swinging it clockwise, as viewed in these figures, producing downward movement of the forward end of lever 35 against the action of its return spring 33 to raise the rear end of the lever and allow pin 33 to escape from the latch portion 13 of aperture 34. Thereupon spring 13 pulls the shift frame 24 forwardly around the shaft pivot 32 and raises the cylindrical rail 3|, thus lifting skeleton 2| and platen roll 23 until the stopshoulder on the skeleton abuts stop 23. Thus the platen roll is thrown to upper-case typing position by the spring 13 upon depression of either case-shift key.

The electric motor 34 is in an electrical circuit which is normally open through contact pair 31'-33. l'he motor is mounted on a bracket 30 fixed to the rear wall I2 of the main frame. Its armature shaft 3I drives, through a coupling 32, -a shaft 33 which has a fixed clutch collar 34. Between the clutch collar 34 and the actuating arm 33 there is a disk 35 of friction material and on the other side of arm 33 is a similar friction disk 33 urged against arm 33, which is loose on the shaft, by an adjustable spring-pressure device 31. Reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings will demonstrate that the toggle 13-33 is substantially straightened by the action of spring 13 in moving the case-shift frame to upper-case shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, an electric circuit is maintained open through the contact pair 31 and 30 by a finger II3 on the lower end of an arm II4, the upper end of which is secured to shaft 32 of the case-shift frame. As the frame rocks to lower-case typing position.

. finger II3 enters an aperture H5 in the panel I03 and, striking against an insulating block IIS secured to the angle member I04, it rocks the angle member on its pivot I05 to open the contact pair against the opposition of leaf spring III. Thus as long as the case-shift frame remains latched in lower-case typing position, as shown in Fig. 2, finger II3 is effective to maintain the motor in an open electrical circuit.

When either of the shift keys 43-50 is depressed, the case-shift frame is rocked and finger II3 is relieved from its effective open-circuiting position. But before contacts 31 and 38 may become closed, a substitute open-circuiting device becomes effective. This substitute device comprises a riser II1 at the rear of case-shift keylever 41. The upper end of the riser engages a cam member II3 at one end of a lever I20 which is pivoted at I2I in a lug I22 on control box I00. The lever is of metal suitably insulated, as indicated at I23. The opposite end of the lever has a nose I24 which wedges into position between panel I03 and angle member I04 when the cam II3 of the lever is acted upon by riser II1. A spring I25 is adapted to rock the lever to withdraw the nose I24 when riser II1 is retracted.

Thus when the operator depresses one of the case-shift keys, allowing the case-shift frame to rock to upper-case typing position, the open circuit control of finger II3 is abandoned in favor is in turn under control ofthe case-shift keylever. The nose is so shaped and the parts are so related that closure of the contact pair does not take place until the case-shift key-lever has returned to a considerable extent from its fully depressed position. a The approximate point of contact closure is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings As the case-shift lever-isreleased to its upward movement under the influence of springs ll-6| the cam roll 44 is relieved from the bell-crank lever 40, which allows the latch lever 35 to return under the influence of its spring 85 so that it reassumes a position for engagement with the pin 88 of the case-shift frame when the latter is restored to lower-case typing position. With the parts substantially in the positions shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the contacts 81-88 are engaged, the motor 84 is energized, the arm 88 is moved by the friction clutch, pulling link 82 to break the toggle 18-80 and rock'the case-shift frame until pin 88 rides into latch groove '18 of latch lever 85. The skeleton 2| with roller platen 23 follows by gravity the downward motor-driven movement of the case-Shift frame and finds its lower case typing position determined by the latched position of the case-shift frame.

When the case-shift lock-lever 65 is used to latch the parts in upper-case typing position, case-shift key-lever 41 is held depressed and riser I I1 is held elevated in the same manner as though key 50 would be held depressed by the operator's finger. Thus nose l2'4 continues to maintain the motor circuit open under these conditions until the operator depresses one or the other of caseshift keys 48 and it slightly below the position which they assume when the latch lever 65 is effective. This releases the latch lever to the action of its spring 68, withdrawing hook 64 from latch shoulder 83 destroying the effectiveness of the latch and permitting restoration of the keylever 41 which then permits withdrawal of nose I24 and closure of the electric circuit.

By the system of circuit controls just described it will be obvious that the spring and motor shifting of the roller platen to upper and lower caseshift positions respectively may be utilized under all operating conditions of the machine irrespective of whether the left-hand or the right-hand case-shift key is depressed or released, or whether the case-shifting is to be effected temporarily for the typing of a single character, or is to be effected for the typing of a plurality of characters. Operator effort is reduced to a minimum and the device is characterized by particular simplicity and reliable operation.

It will be noted, furthermore, that the shifting of the parts to upper-case typing position may require a spring of considerable strength particularly on wide carriage machines. The present invention is adapted to greatly reduce the shock of impact as the parts arrive at their upper-case stop position. The straightening of the toggle to obtain upper-case typing position results, of course, in decelerating the movement of the parts as they proceed toward the limiting stop and the ready slip of the friction clutch between the motor and the toggle minimizes the shock.

What is claimed is: e 1. In a typewriter. a case-shift device comprising, a part to be shifted, latch means holding the part normally in lower-case typing position, a key, connections between the key and the latch means for rendering the latch means ineffective when the key is depressed, spring means for moving the part to upper-case typing position when the latch means is rendered inefiective, electric current responsive means in a normally open electric circuit, means under control of the key inits return after depression for closing said electric circuit and means connectingsaid current responsive means to said part to restore the latter to lower-case typing position. a 2. In a typewriter, a case-shift device comprising, a part to be shifted, latch means holding the part normally in lower-case typing position, a key, connections between the key and the latch means for rendering the latch means ineffective when the key is depressed, spring means for moving the part to upper-case typing position when the latch means is rendered ineifective, an electric motor in a normally open electric circuit, means under control of the key in its return after depression for closing said electric circuit and means connecting said motor to said part to restore the latter to lower-case typing position, said latch means being rendered effective upon said return of the key to automatically relatch the part when restored.

3. In a typewriter, a case-shift device comprising a shift-frame, spring means applied to said shift-frame to bias it to a predetermined case position, an electric motor, connections between said motor and said shift-frame, means for latching the shift-frame against the bias of said spring means, a key-lever, and means controlled by said key-lever to render said latching means ineffective upon depression of said keylever and to render said motor effective to return the shift-frame to latched position upon return of said key-lever.

4. In a typewriter, a case-shift device comprising, a. shift-frame, spring means applied to said shift-frame to bias it to a predetermined case position, an electric motor, connections between said motor and said shift-frame including a toggle adapted to be straightened by said spring means, means for latching the shift-frame against the bias of said spring means, a keylever, and means controlled by said key-lever when moved in one direction to render ineffective said latching means and upon movement of the key-lever in another direction to render said motor efiective to break the said toggle and re- I turn the shift-frame to latched position.

5. In a typewriter, a case-shift device comprising, a shift-frame, spring means applied to said shift-frame to bias it to a predetermined case position, an electric motor, connections between said motor and said shift-frame including an arm on the armature of the motor, a toggle,

between the shift-frame and a stationarypart of the typewriter, adapted to be straightened by said spring means, a link between saidarm and said toggle, means for latching the shift-frame against the bias of said spring means, a keylever, and means controlled by said key-lever to release said latching means upon depression of said key-lever and to render said motor effective to break said toggle and return the shiftframe to latched position upon return of said key-lever. r

6. In a typewriter, a case-shift device-c0mprising, a shift-frame, spring means applied to said shift-frame to bias it to a predetermined case position, an electric motor, connections between said motor and said shift-frame including a slip friction drive, an arm on the armature of the motor, a toggle between the shift-frame and a stationary part of the typewriter adapted to be straightened by said spring means, and a link between said arm and said toggle, means (or latching the shift-frame against the bias of said spring means, a by said key-lever to release said latching means upon depression of said key-lever and to render said motor effective to break said toggle and return the shift-frame to latched position upon return oi said key-lever.

7. In a typewriter, a part to be shifted to different positions, latch means holding the part normally in one of said positions, a key, connections between the key and the latch means for rendering the latter ineiiective when the key is depressed, spring means for moving the part to another of said positions when the latch means is made ineflective, electric current responsive means. in a normally open electric circuit, adapted to restore the part to the first said position when the circuit is closed, and means,

including a circuit controlling device influenced by the depression and restoration 0! said key, to maintain the cn'cuit open when the key is dekey-lever, and means controlled 8. In a typewriter. a case shirt device comprising. a part to be shifted to diiierent case positions, latch means normally eiiective to hold the part in one case position, spring means ior moving the part to another case position, electric current responsive means to return the part to the said one case positionra circuit for the last said means including movable contacts, means including a member on said part for holding the contacts normally disengaged, another means for holding the-contacts disengaged, a key and means controlled by the key for releasing the latch means and rendering eiiective the said other contact-holding means when the key is moved in one direction, said key-controlled means having provision for restoring the latch and said other holding means to normal condi- Eon when the key is moved in the opposite direc- WILLIAM F. HELMOND. 

